Grant, Is Free Trade – Gats By Stealth>

The Secretary OF THE Australian Manufacturers Workers Union Doug Cameron has given permission for me to quote statistics re; Free Trade. Research by United Auto Workers demonstrates the real problems of bilateral Free Trade Agreements.

According to the UAW, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has:

• Failed to improve workers rights and living standards.

• Failed to improve environmental conditions and protections.

• Failed to protect public health, safety and other public services.

• Failed to stimulate sustainable, equitable economic growth and development.

• Failed to protect the rights of citizens against corporate corruption.

After 10 years of NAFTA, workers in the US, Mexico and Canada have:

• Less job and income security,

• Less control over economic and social policies and,

• Less equitable income distribution.

NAFTA’s predicted benefits have not materialized:

• Instead of increased job opportunities, the US Labor Department has certified that over 500,000 workers have lost their jobs due to increased trade with Canada and Mexico.

• Instead of higher incomes for Mexican workers and reduced illegal immigration, poverty in Mexico has grown and illegal immigration continues.

• The US trade deficit with Canada and Mexico has grown from $19 billion in 1993 to 85 billion in 2002.

• Companies have moved hundreds of thousands of jobs to Mexico and threatened millions of American and Canadian workers that they will move to Mexico unless workers accept wage and benefit concessions.

• Downward pressure on workers incomes in all three countries has intensified.

• Corporations have gained new rights to challenge and overturn government social and economic development policies.

• Official US unemployment figures claim the rate is 6.2%; the real unemployment rate is 10.5%.

• The number of unemployed is 9.1 million who have an average duration of unemployment of 19.3 weeks.

• Since George W Bush took office in January 2001, 2 million manufacturing jobs have been lost.

• One million State government jobs have been eliminated.

The Canadian Auto Workers can tell a similar tale of the devastation wrought on their industry by NAFTA and the US policy of devaluing the American dollar to make US industry more competitive/

It is time for a change;

Australian governments must look to build social, economic and cultural capital instead of meekly capitulating to short term, stock exchange funded, and profit oriented capitalism.

Grant, if the USA delegates agree to a Free Trade Deal, it will be on their terms, i.e. Lower the Bar on Australia’s Strict Quarantine Laws. Removal of Subsidies from our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which would mean the Disabled, Elderly and Infirmed would pay the full Price for Prescriptions.

Deregulate our Local Film and Radio Content for any Future New Media.

Demand Foreign Digital Productions be allowed to set up Carte Blanche, with no Restrictions, which would destroy our Cultural Identity as well as steal the Dreams of Future Australian Artists. Grant, I hope our Agriculture Farmers and Federal Government do not sacrifice the future of fellow Australians and our Country for the sake of the Mighty Dollar.

A copy of the Transcript of Phil Tzavellas on the Grant Goldman Breakfast 2SM Relays 5:40am, Tuesday, November 18, 2003.

Kind regards

Phil Tzavellas